The Tuesday Interview | ‘Manipur will remain one of the biggest blots on PM Modi’s legacy’

The 42-year-old Gaurav, son of former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, discussed Modi 3.0 and the 'corrupt rule' of Assam Chief Minster Himanta Biswa Sarma, among other things.

As the deputy leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi has been a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi-led government’s handling of the Manipur conflict, both in Parliament and beyond. With the situation in Manipur remaining volatile, Gaurav, who has been elected to the Lok Sabha for a third consecutive term from Assam, told DH’s Sumir Karmakar that the Manipur conflict would remain one of the biggest blots on PM Narendra Modi’s legacy after his tenure ends. The 42-year-old Gaurav, son of former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, discussed various topics, including potential changes in the Modi government after the 2024 elections. Excerpts:

After you got re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 2024 and the Congress won three out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said Congress won in Assam due to Muslim votes. How do you respond?

The Lok Sabha elections stunned the Bharatiya Janata Party across the country and also in Assam. Even now they completely misread the verdict. The mandate was against the BJP’s politics of hate and polarisation and for the issues of unemployment and inflation. But I am not surprised that the CM is continuing to distract the public from his repeated failures. The people will no longer be distracted by his rhetoric.

The Congress and AIUDF legislators were unhappy about the way the Assam Assembly passed several bills, including on Muslim marriages and divorce. How do you respond?

The MLAs feel that there needs to be deliberations and consultations between the government and the public, because for any law to be effective, the public must follow it in letter and spirit. But without adequate dialogue to create a sense of trust, these laws would only remain on the books. But this government is completely bypassing any attempts to hold dialogue and build trust with the minority communities. 

But do you think such acts were necessary, particularly registration of Muslim marriages and divorces?

As per the rights guaranteed in the Constitution, every community has the freedom to practice their faith and follow their customary laws. But there are cases where registration with the local administration helps in acquiring certain official documents that help them in their daily lives. The community should be taken into confidence, and if they have any recommendations, the government should be willing to adopt them. 

At the Centre also, the Modi government is bringing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. You are also a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee. 

The Modi government would have passed the Waqf Bill in the last term, but right now, with their reduced numbers and the effective coordination among the Opposition parties, they have been forced to send the bill to a JPC. As a member of the JPC, I can’t speak about the deliberations, but I can say that the difference between the pre-2024 elections and now is that while in the past, the PM bulldozed the Parliament, now he is being forced to respect the Parliament and understand the importance of parliamentary committees. 

Manipur has again become volatile. What do you think is the solution? 

I appeal to the people of Manipur to initiate a process of building mutual trust. Far too many lives have been destroyed. The governor in the past too said the BJP government at the Centre needs to do more, but the PM remains disconnected. We have seen in the past that in such a situation, it requires political leadership at the highest level. I remember, during the Assam Agitation (1979–1985), former PMs Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi talked to the protesters, met them directly, and tried to resolve the situation. And that is what is needed now. The prime minister cannot solve the Manipur situation through a hands-off approach. He needs to take his state government and the chief minister of Manipur to task and lead a personal effort in building a bridge between the communities in Manipur.

So are you saying it is because of the Centre’s failure that the conflict persists? 

It is because of the Prime Minister’s failure. Manipur will remain one of the biggest blots on PM Modi’s legacy after his tenure is over. In any conflict in the past, we have seen political leaders taking charge of the situation themselves. But here is a unique case where the PM appears to be avoiding the situation and shirking his responsibility. This is creating a sense of distrust, not only among the two communities but also with
the central government. We have seen videos of schoolchildren pelting stones at the central police reserve, which points to the feelings of Manipur’s young people towards the Government of India.

It saddens me that they are creating a sense of alienation and disappointment among youngsters. It is not for any government institutions or any armed military unit; it is for the PM to take charge of the situation. The situation in Manipur just shows how weak the leadership of PM Modi has been.

Regarding the Kolkata doctor rape and murder incident, except for Rahul Gandhi’s statement, Congress has been relatively silent on the issue. Is it because you don’t want to miff an I.N.D.I.A ally?

Our party leader expressed deep concern; our leaders in West Bengal also expressed their disappointment over the way the situation was managed in the early days. What we need is to look at the issue of the safety of doctors in all our hospitals, conduct a safety audit, and take our doctors into confidence. At the same time, we have to reflect on the persisting ills of patriarchy. Indian men need to evolve into being progressive in the 21st century. This is what our leader, Rahul Gandhi, spoke about in his address to students at Texas. Women’s safety is an issue our party takes very seriously. 

Do you think the I.N.D.I.A partners should contest the Assembly elections together?

I think we should always have a process and an open door for dialogue, and where possible, we should collaborate. If we must go our separate ways, it should be after a thorough and exhaustive dialogue. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, have made tremendous efforts to keep I.N.D.I.A. united. All leaders of the bloc understand the importance of our alliance. I am confident that in Maharashtra, we have an alliance with two parties; we are going to form the government.

Your home state, Assam, goes to polls in 2026. Will you be taking the lead in uniting the Opposition to fight against the BJP? 

Our only aim is to end the corrupt rule of Chief Minster Himanta Biswa Sarma and free the people of Assam from his divisive and hateful politics. We have not seen a CM who is so concerned about expanding his family’s properties and wealth. After the Lok Sabha elections, people are waiting to oust the corrupt government led by Sarma. I think contesting the polls together is too early to say.